A bill to allow those with opioid addiction to legally possess and use medical marijuana – along with some other changes – has been passed by Nevada’s full Senate.

Nevada Senate Bill 374 was given approval yesterday by the state’s Senate with a 12 to 9 vote, sending it to the House of Representatives for consideration. According to its official legislative digest, the measure would include opioid addiction within the definition of “chronic or debilitating medical condition”. Section 1.5 of the proposal “prohibits a professional licensing board from taking disciplinary action against a person licensed by the board on the basis that the person holds a validly issues registry identification card or engages in lawful activity, pursuant to the person’s licensed profession, relating to the medical use of marijuana or to a registered medical marijuana establishment”.

Section 2 of the measure “prohibits a professional licensing board from taking disciplinary action on the basis that the person engages in lawful activity, pursuant to the person’s licensed profession, relating to: (1) the recreational use of marijuana; or (2) a licensed marijuana establishment.”

Section 3.3 “authorizes a provider of health care or message therapist to: (1) administer marijuana-infused product or a similar product containing industrial hemp for topical use on human skin to a patient or client if the patient or client provides the product for administration; (2) maintain a supply of products containing industrial hemp for topical use on human skin and administer such a product to a patient or client upon request; and (3) recommend the use of marijuana or industrial hemp by a patient or client to treat a condition.

Section 3.3 also “exempts a provider of health care or message therapist from certain crimes for making such an administration or recommendation, and “prohibits a professional licensing board from taking disciplinary action against a provider of health care or message therapist for making such an administration or recommendation.”

Anthony, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheJointBlog, has worked closely with numerous elected officials who support cannabis law reform, including as the former Campaign Manager for Washington State Representative Dave Upthegrove. He has also been published by multiple media outlets, including the Seattle Times. He can be reached at TheJointBlog@TheJointBlog.com.